1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processing technique and an image forming technique and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus that start a program from a recording medium inserted into a slot, and a program-starting method and a recording medium.
The present invention also generally relates to a recording medium producing technique and, more particularly, to a recording medium producing method, a recording medium producing apparatus and a recording medium producing system for producing a recording medium, which stores a program which an information processing apparatus is caused to start, and a recording medium produced according to such a recording medium producing method, recording medium producing apparatus or recording medium producing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information-processing apparatuses such as a personal computer performs various information processing operations by executing at least one program corresponding to the information processing operations. Moreover, an image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a combination machine) as an example of the information processing apparatus is provided with a display unit, a print unit, an picture-taking unit, etc. within a single housing, and also provided with four kinds of programs corresponding to a printer, a copier, a facsimile and a scanner so as to operate as a printer, a copier, a facsimile or a scanner by switching the programs to be executed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-84383 discloses a combination machine as mentioned above.
In the information processing apparatus and the combination machine, a basic input/output system (BIOS) and a boot loader are started after turning a power on. The boot loader develops a Kernel and a root file system on a random access memory (RAM). Then, the kernel mounts the root file system. Here, the “mount” means a start of a file system or a peripheral device to operate in an accessible state.
After starting the kernel, a start program, which boots an application, is started. The start program is a process first started in an information-processing apparatus or a combination machine. The start program mounts a file system in accordance with a predetermined setting file and starts programs, which is recorded on a hard disk unit (HDD), necessary for operations of the information processing apparatus or a combination machine in accordance with a predetermined setting file.
Recently, there is an increasing demand for starting a program of an information-processing apparatus or a combination machine from a recording medium such as an SD (secure digital) card, which is detachably attached to the information apparatus or the combination machine.
However, since a recording medium such as the SD card, which is removably attached, can be used with a personal computer, there may be an injustice to a program recorded on the recording medium, such as a tamper or a copy of the program recorded on the recording medium.
Therefore, when starting a program of an information-processing apparatus or a combination machine from a removable recording medium, there is a problem in that a security of a program stored in a recording medium cannot be well-maintained.